Virgin Mine
by Riyue
Summary: Gaara never thought of himself as a stalker... until now. Gaahina
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 01: An unlikely attraction.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Note: The characters are now sixteen.

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Naruto… or else this wouldn't be fanfiction now would it?

A/N: The first three chapters have been reviewed, re-edited and reposted! New updates will follow soon! Thanks for all your patience everyone!

* * *

Unbeknown to her, someone watched her from a tree branch not too far away.

Leaning casually against the tree trunk, he surveyed the scene below him with something akin to interest. No, he couldn't really call it interest. In truth, there was really nothing remotely interesting about a girl doing her daily training. Yet… here he was, watching her, when he really should have been long gone. He was expected somewhere, he was sure of that. He could vaguely recall his sister pestering him this morning about a meeting that was to take place today. Though try as he might, he couldn't recall where it was supposed to take place. Oh yes, that was because he had been too busy trying to get away from her.

He didn't usually resort to running away but he had been in a particularly bad mood this morning. He had _finally _fallen asleep, after hours of trying, when his sister came waltzing into the room, very loudly might he add. This pissed him off for a number of reasons. One, he was cranky from a lack of sleep; two, she barged in without knocking; and three, he had _finally, finally_ been able to fall asleep before he was so rudely woken up. But on top of it all, it was to bug him about some stupid, boring meeting. He hated meetings with a passion. He had better things to do then sit around and listen to a bunch of old people arguing with one another. Yet, attending meetings was all he ever did these days, aside from sifting through mountains of paperwork. You can probably imagine how _happy_ he had been this morning. So as to avoid going insane and killing his sister, he… ran away, for a lack of a better term.

He had been wandering through the forest when he _stumbled_ upon her. _Literally. _In fact, he had almost fallen on top of her, had he not caught himself in time. Yes, he'll admit it, he was careless. Though to his credit, the trees were still wet and slippery from the rain that had fallen last night. But… as a shinobi, that mistake was inexcusable.

When his feet were once again firmly planted on a tree branch, he quickly jumped away to put some distance between him and the girl below. To his… amazement, she seemed oblivious to his little… miscalculation.

This all happened a little over three hours ago. Yet, here he was, still watching her.

If it wasn't her training that enthralled him, and he was most certain that it wasn't, then it was… the girl _herself_ that captured his attention. Yet the reason why escapes him as he surveyed her. Was it her looks? No… there was nothing remotely captivating about her appearance. She was rather plain looking, to be honest. Was it her skills? …definitely not. In fact, she was rather weak in his books. Then… why?

"Gaara." Came the sudden voice of the person he least wanted to hear right now. Still annoyed at her, and the fact that she managed to sneak up on him without him realizing, he chose ignore her and continue his pondering.

Realizing that she was being ignored, Temari tapped her foot impatiently.

"Gaara!" But he still refused to acknowledge her. Temari furrowed her brows and prepared to yell at her brother when she suddenly realized that he was intently watching the scene below. Following his gaze, she spotted the dark haired kunoichi in the clearing below them, who was currently in the process of practicing her shuriken throws.

"Hyuuga Hinata." Temari announced the identity of the girl.

Turning towards his sister, Gaara arched an invisible brow at her, "You know of her?"

"Had you attended the little welcome party yesterday, you would have known she was introduced as the heiress of the Hyuuga clan."

"She's the heiress?"

"Yes, rather weak, isn't she?" Temari nodded in concurrence.

"She also participated in our first Chuunin exam. She lost her match against her cousin, Neji." Temari added as an afterthought.

"Anyways, why are you interested in her?" She turned towards her brother, amusement evident on her face, and waited for his response.

"I'm not." Gaara replied, his voice thick with annoyance. Turning away from the scene in front of him, he departed, heading towards the direction of their temporary dwelling.

Temari watched as her brother disappeared from sight. She flickered her gaze back to the oblivious girl below, before she too took her leave.

"Interesting indeed."

* * *

He came back again and just as he had thought, she was there, dutifully training. He came back again… the thought of it astounded even him. He didn't know why he came back. Okay… maybe he did.

He had to find out why she interested him.

So here he was. Trying to figure out just what it is that attracts him to her so that he could move on with his life.

The girl was definitely persistent. She came to train everyday, rain or shine. She even came after her missions. Despite being tired to the bones, she still persisted with her training.

Bleeding was a frequent occurrence for her. Gaara has seen his share of blood, more than any sane person actually should. He's not ashamed to admit it; the sight of blood excites him. He loved seeing other people bleed. He used to think that this sadistic fascination was caused by the demon… but this notion proved faulty. For even now, after Shukaku has been extracted from him, the sight of blood pleased him.

Yet, for some reason, he… _disliked_ seeing her bleed.

This realization, of course, bothered him to no end.

Thus he kept watching the girl to try and figure out why. Which, in turn, raised more questions than answers.

It's a vicious cycle. And one he can't seem to break out of.

Maybe it's her determination that attracted him to her.

He had been observing her for almost two weeks now. From his perspective, she hasn't improved at all. Yet this did not deter her in the slightest.

Hinata, despite possessing a bloodline limit, was currently too weak to make jounin. This much was obvious from watching her. In fact, the girl knew it herself. The expression on her face, as she returned home everyday, clearly indicated her anger and frustration. Yet she kept coming back… and so did he.

For Gaara, skills came easy to him. He trained to pass time, not because he needed to and years of protecting himself from assassins only served to hone his abilities. Gaara was just shinobi material.

Hinata was not.

Thus she has to work harder than others to try and close the gap between the hardworking and the gifted.

For a person like Gaara who has never had to work hard for anything, her motivation was… _admirable._

Yet, he couldn't help but think that her determination is verging on the edge of stupidity.

Gaara almost_, almost,_ felt sorry for her.

* * *

It had almost became a game. Or rather, a test if you will, to see just how close he could get to her before she finally noticed him. As it stands right now, she was losing… badly. He was currently perched on the closest branch to the clearing. Surely, she should have noticed by now.

Gaara couldn't help but wonder just how useless her byakugan really was. Even a normal ninja would have noticed his presence now!

This realization angered him, for reasons beyond his comprehension. Unfortunately for Gaara, his sudden flare of anger caused him to unconsciously channel too much chakra to his feet… which blew up the branch below his feet.

This was, of course, a mistake that should never have happened. He seemed to be making a lot of these little mistakes around her.

Quickly doing a back flap, Gaara landed gracefully on the ground and locked eyes with a very bewildered looking Hyuuga.

Hinata, being Hinata, quickly dropped her eyes as a light blush speedily spread across her cheeks.

"K-kazekage-sama." She feebly addressed him.

"Y-you're here f-for the jounin exam…" he watched her stutter. It was… amusing.

Had Gaara been any other person, he would've rolled his eyes at her for stating the obvious. After all, why else would he be here if not for the ranking exams? He was certainly not here because he wanted to be here (all the people that perked his interest had long made jounin).

But as the Kazekage, it was part of his duty to observe the exams.

Ignoring her comment, Gaara continued to stare at her. This of course, caused Hinata to become even more nervous. She kept her head bowed and fidgeted with her fingers nervously.

This action annoyed Gaara to no end.

"You're scared of me." Gaara's comment caused Hinata's blush to deepen.

Gaara waited for her answer but the girl merely stood there awkwardly… as if wishing he could magically go away…

And that is exactly what Gaara did. Usually, he would be fluttered, yes _fluttered, _if he succeeded in terrorizing others. For some reason, her fear did not sit well with him. So with a swirl of sand, he departed for Gaara was not one to dwell where he wasn't wanted.

And she clearly did not want him here.

He was not pleased… not pleased at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 02: Defining Stalker

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Author's Note: The characters are now sixteen.

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Naruto… or else this wouldn't be fanfiction now would it?

A/N: Reposting the first three chapters with newly edited material. New content will be uploaded shortly. Thank you everyone for your patience!

* * *

"Byakugan" She whispered as she concentrated her chakra towards her eyes while simultaneously performing the appropriate hand seals. Falling into the familiar ready position stance, she turned to face her opponent…

A wooden dummy.

Now you may wonder why Hinata was not training at the Hyuuga's private training ground. It's a fair question to ponder. After all, she is the heiress; even if only in name.

It is no secret, after all, that Hyuuga Hiashi has long since given up on Hinata. Instead, he has turned his attention towards training Hanabi into the shinobi that he wants her to be. Into a shinobi that he could label heir with pride and would one day, lead the clan.

Hinata has often been told that it was not her fault that she is not "leader material", they termed it. That she was too kind in nature; too gentle.

_Too weak._

If you ask Hinata if she loves her family, she would undoubtedly tell you yes, whilst ignoring that tiny feeling of resentment deep within her heart. Resentment for being neglected; ignored; insulted; looked down on.

She resented them but do not hate them.

Hinata knows she can never bring herself to hate her family. Because hatred leads to revenge and revenge leads to harm. She could never wish harm upon her family. Even if they do not love her, she still loved them and longed for their acceptance.

She wished she could turn back time. Back to when she was still a little girl; back to when her mother was still alive. Back then, home felt like home. It was warm and happy. Her father was strict but not unapproachable. She still remembers when little Hanabi used to crawl into her bed after a nightmare, seeking comfort from a big sister whom she felt could protect her from her fears.

Everything changed… everything died along with their mother.

After mother's death, their father trained them endlessly and harshly.

It was bound to happen, everyone was expecting it. After all, their differences in skills had been apparent from the very beginning. It came as no surprise to Hinata when Hanabi finally defeated her in a sparring match. But she could still remember the uncertainty and fear in her sister's eyes and the crude disappoint in her father's.

That day, Hinata sat on the cold, hard floor of their private training ground and silently watched as her father led her sister away. And it was then that Hinata realized that she had been abandoned… given up on.

She was dumped into the academy to fend for herself, while her father trained her sister exclusively.

During the day, everyone kept Hanabi as far away from Hinata as possible. As if fearing that her uselessness was contagious. But at night, Hanabi would still sneak into Hinata's room to seek comfort from her older sister for her bruises and wounds. And Hinata would welcome her and comfort her while secretly loathing her sister for gaining all the attention.

Then one day, Hanabi did not come at the usual time. Hinata had fallen asleep waiting for her when the sound of the sliding door awoke her from her slumber.

"Hanabi, is that you?" She called out softly as she reached to turn on the lights.

But upon seeing her sister, Hinata screamed and roughly shoved Hanabi away from her. There, little Hanabi sat on the floor draped in blood and a single tear escaped her milky white eyes and rolled down her cheek.

That was the last time Hanabi came to Hinata.

Hinata later learned that that had been pig's blood. That Hiashi, unlike the Hokage, had no qualms about exposing children to death.

Hanabi had made her first kill.

At the tender age of five.

* * *

The sky, tainted a deep purple, was quickly descending into complete darkness. It was getting late; she would be scolded if she was tardy for dinner. Hinata quickly packed up her belongings and hastily left the clearing. But just as she was parting, Hinata could have swore that she heard a muffled scream. Filing the sound away as paranoia, she broke into a run for the Hyuuga mansion.

Had she checked the area with her Byakugan, Hinata would have realized that she was not as alone as she thought.

* * *

He waited until she was completely out of sight before stooping down to where she had practiced her taijutsu just minutes before. A swirl of sand followed behind him. Mingled within it, two bodies, fighting furiously against the hold of the sand.

There used to be three, but the third man had ceased to exist because the fool was idiotic enough to scream upon noticing Gaara. Gaara does not tolerate cowards.

At his command, his sand released its hold on the two shinobi and deposited them unceremoniously on the hard, muddy ground.

"Why are you after the girl." His green eyes bore into theirs, demanding and condescending.

"As if we'll tell the likes of –" But the man never managed to finish his sentence before the sand crashed him into particles.

Gaara had killed him for being… well, disrespectful.

"Answer." He said, turning the last remaining man.

"I… I… w-won't… tell you anything." The man stuttered in fear. His voice was squeaky and high. And it annoyed Gaara to no end. Yet he couldn't just kill the guy….

So he opted for another option.

They both watched as sand slowly gathered around the man's left leg, like a snake twisting around its prey…..and tore it from his torso.

To say the man screamed in agony would be an understatement.

His pain made Gaara feel slightly better. To say that Gaara wasn't sadistic would indeed, be a lie.

"I hate repeating myself." And with a wave of his hands, the sand bounded itself around the man's remaining leg and starting twisting it in a clock-wise direction.

"I… I'll answer… anything… stop…please…" The man managed to breathe out. At his words, the sand released its hold on his leg. "I….we… came here to kidnap the girl… on… on his… orders."

"Whose orders?"

"We… I… Aahhhhhhh!"

"Too slow." Gaara commented as he surveyed the man before him, who had passed out from the pain of having every bone in his right arm crushed to pieces. Blood gushed violently from what was left of his left leg.

Noticing the man's state of unconsciousness, Gaara frowned in annoyance. With a swirl of sand, they both departed from the clearing, leaving behind only the scent of fresh blood.

* * *

"Whose orders? Answer now. I won't ask again."

The man was now awake thanks to being dumped carelessly in the lake. His blood mingled with the water, tainting the bluish water with streams of red.

"We… don't know his name." The man managed to gasp out.

When the sand once around wrapped around him, the man closed his eyes, and in a twisted sense he welcomed it this time, for he knew, this time it would deliver him from the world of the living… and from all the pain.

All the while before, he had been searching for a reason. An explanation for why he came back and watched her. Well, now he had one. Sort of, at least.

He was here to watch her and ensure that she was not kidnapped.

Not because he cared about her, of course.

But merely because should the Byakugan fall into the wrong hands, well, that could prove troublesome.

There was no use telling the girl about it because she was clearly too weak to defend herself.

So he stood as her… well, he wasn't exactly sure what he was yet. He merely watched her while she trained and followed her until she was in the safety of the Hyuuga compound.

Today should have been no exception, except he was joined by another presence as he was turning to leave.

"Gaara-sama." The man before him addressed him with a bow, out of respect for his title.

"Hyuuga Neji." Gaara in turn acknowledged him.

"What business do you have with the Hyuuga, Kazekage-sama?"

"That is of no concern to you." Gaara snapped, rather childishly.

"On the contrary, if it concerns Hyuuga Hinata then it is of concern to me."

"How so?" Gaara asked as he narrowed his eyes.

If the dark haired man that faced him haboured any fear, he did well in hiding it.

"I act as her guardian and future husband. Anything concerning Hyuuga Hinata concerns me."

"I appreciate the act of…. kindness" Here Neji paused to observe any reaction from Gaara, when none was received he continued, "But I ask that Kazekage-sama refrain from… seeing my fiancé home from now on."

"Oh?" Gaara replied, arching one delicate… well, if he had a brow, he would have arched it.

"Yes. If one did not know better, one would have assumed that Gaara-sama had been… stalking."

"Stalking?"

Neji wisely remained silently as he watched the younger man before him slowly absorb his accusation.

"Stalker…." Gaara whispered to himself.

"Stalker…" He repeated again trying to grasp the concept.

"Stalker…"

"Stalker…" Still in shock, he slowly retreated into his shell of sand

"Stalker…" And teleported away.

Gaara had been accused of many things in his life. But he has never been accused of being a stalker…

Until now.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 03: Cookies, anyone?

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Author's Note: The characters are now sixteen.

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Naruto… or else this wouldn't be fanfiction now would it?

* * *

It has almost become a habit...or perhaps… it already was. This was a terrifying thought for the young Kazekage. Habits are hard to break.

He was perched on top of his usual branch waiting for her. But today, she was late… very late. The sun was setting… she was probably not coming.

Finally acknowledging this fact, Gaara took off for the direction of 'home'.

How dare that girl stand him up! Not that she invited him to watch her train but… still, how dare she break their habit? If she wasn't going to come she should at least let him know. He waited six hours, thirty-four minutes and twenty-two seconds for her… not that he was counting. Didn't she know that he was the Kazekage? He was a very important person you know, the whole of Suna depended on him. He had better things to do than wait around for her. It is not easy being the leader of a village, you know. He had many important people waiting around trying to get in touch with him and of course… there was always that mountain of paperwork that sat unloved on his desk… And yet the nerve of that girl!

Our beloved Kazekage continued to fume all the way back to his dwelling whilst pointedly ignoring the fact that the unnamed girl was oblivious to their 'scheduled' meeting and thus couldn't possibly be held accountable for 'standing him up'. But hey, who said he was reasonable?

Although… it was definitely odd for Hinata to miss her daily training… unless…

Gaara suddenly came to a stop, made a one-eighty turn and headed for the direction of the Hyuuga clan house. Maybe she wasn't able to come because something has happened to her!

Not that he was worried about her, mind you. He just needed to verify... it was his job you see. He needed to stay on top of things.

No. He was not a stalker! He was not… how dare that pesky little Neji accuse him of this! Yes, that's the reason he's heading to the Hyuuga house right now. To teach that Neji a lesson, for disrespecting the Kazekage!

When he arrived at the Hyuuga mansion however, he headed straight for the main house. Our esteemed Kazekage has once again ignored the fact that it made no logical sense for him to be looking for Neji by going to Hinata's room.

And he found her, seconds later… sitting on her porch sipping orange juice and enjoying her novel.

Oh yes, she was very much in pain and mortal danger.

With a swirl of sand, he angrily departed.

* * *

"Neji-ni-san" Came her soft voice.

"Now do you believe me?" Came her cousin's reply.

"…..Hai."

* * *

The next day found Gaara sitting at his desk, finally sifting through the pile of week-old paperwork. Or at least it appeared that way. But our favourite red-head was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate. He glanced at the clock again, it read 5:46.

'_She should be heading back home.' _He thought to himself before quickly chiding himself for thinking about her again. _'Ahhh! What has that girl done to me?'_

He came home very angry yesterday, no, he was livid. And still was, mind you. _'How could I be so stupid? To think I was worried about her!' _And he vowed that he will never go back to that training ground again. He will leave straight away… just as soon as the jounin exams are over. And next year, he will send Kankuro to represent him instead. Temari and her diplomacy be damned.

And yet here he was… still thinking about her. This has become borderline obsession and even Gaara knows it.

"Gaara. Gaara! Gaara!"

"What!" The said boy snapped, angrily turning his gaze towards the source of the voice. There, Temari stood leaning against the door frame with an annoyed scowl on her face.

"You're supposed to be getting ready to dine with the feudal lords!"

She waited for a reply, but none came. Her little brother, though he could hardly be called little anymore for he was a head taller than her, merely stood glaring back at her.

"Gaara." She said his name warningly. Temari must admit, if this was a few years ago, she would never dream of speaking this way to him. But he has changed, well, as much as Gaara can change. Although he still struck fear in most people's hearts, he was no longer a murderous lunatic. And deep down, Temari knew he was still a little boy and it was the eldest child's job to keep all little brothers in line… Kazekage or not. So tough luck for being born after her!

"I dine alone." The red head finally said and headed for the door.

"Gaara!" But Temari blocked the doorway and refused to let him pass.

"Gaara! Where are you going!" She exclaimed when she saw him head for the window instead.

"Out." He replied before jumping out the window.

"No! Come back here you brat!" She screamed after his departing form.

But Gaara was Gaara and since when did he follow instructions?

* * *

Once he got away from his sister, Gaara contemplated where to go. An annoying voice in his head kept edging him to go to the old training grounds. But his pride intervened. Had he really sank so low that he can't even keep away from her anymore? No! He was not a stalker! He was not!

But… he couldn't really go home now. So he decided to head into town.

Or at least that's what he thought…. but his feet had other plans. And soon he found himself perched on top of his usual branch but today… he was not alone.

* * *

Unlike usual, she did not come to this deserted training ground right after her meeting with her team.

Unlike usual, she did not come only bearing her weapons.

Unlike usual, she did not practice her taijutsu with the dummy.

Instead, she sat on the hard, sandy ground, silently staring at the bundle in her lap and waited. And waited and waited and waited… but she did not detect his presence.

Was he not going to come anymore? For some reason, this thought saddened her. She looked up at the vast sky above her, it was tinted a purplish red. The sun would soon set. She should be heading home now or Neji-nii-san would start to worry… but why didn't he come? Did something happen to him? But she quickly dismissed this thought. If something had happened to one of the Kage, the village would be in an uproar. And besides, even with the demon gone, Gaara was still a force to be reckoned with.

She made to get up and leave but paused in that motion and decided to check one last time. Secretly forming hand-seals, she activated her byakugan and scanned her surroundings. This time, she was not disappointed. She couldn't help the little smile that spread across her face.

* * *

What exactly the bundle contained, Gaara could not make out. But it was definitely a box of some sort as it was rectangular in shape.

The little Hyuuga was definitely contemplating something. And it annoyed Gaara to no end that he did not know what it is.

"Byakugan." He heard her suddenly whisper and watched as her eyes scanned her environment.

Did his little Hyuuga finally notice his presence or did that pesky Neji say something to her.

Gaara was willing to bet the latter.

He watched with satisfaction as she frowned. Her search had of course returned as nil. She deactivated her byakugan and dropped her eyes to stare at her bundle again.

Was that… it? Gaara had to wonder. Was this woman really fit to be heiress? Even if only in name?

"Kai!" He heard her speak again while her hands formed the appropriate hand seals. This time, unprotected by genjutsu, she successful spotted him.

However, Gaara did not feel that he could really commend her for it, after all it had taken her nearly a month to realize that he was here. And had it not for that Neji, it would have taken her longer.

"Kazekage-sama." She got off the ground and bowed respectfully.

Gaara did not speak, but merely watched her from his branch.

Perhaps she was waiting for him to address her, for she remained bowed.

And for a good while, neither spoke nor moved as they remained poised in their respective positions.

Gaara had to wonder if her back was hurting from the bowing.

Then suddenly she held out the package to him.

"I…. I… I wanted to… to thank Kazekage-sama for… for watching over me." She stuttered, her face turning beet red, "I… I made this."

And then she placed the bundle carefully on the ground and…..ran away.

Gaara arched a non-existent brow. That was definitely… bizarre.

He made to leave but stopped and stared at her package again, looking rather out of place on the muddy ground.

Should he open it? He pondered. What exactly did she mean when she said she made it? What is there to make for him? And… she was thanking him for watching over her? Since when did the great Kazekage stoop to babysitting? He was not watching over her… he was just bored and…. and…. okay, he'll admit it. So what though? He was Gaara and he could do whatever he wanted.

So hesitantly he reached for the package and un-wrapped it. Inside, he found… cookies; a dozen or so cookies.

Wrinkling his nose, he dropped them carelessly on the ground.

Gaara did not eat sweets.

He gathered his charka to perform his teleportation jutsu but paused to look at the cookies again. They stared innocently back at him.

She _made _them. Nobody had ever made anything especially for him before. And she was thanking him. Gaara had never been thanked before. Cursed, feared, hated, yelled at; yes, but never thanked. It seemed _wrong_to just leave her gratitude in the dirt. And yet, Gaara hated sweets.

They tried to kill him with it once.

And they had very, very nearly succeeded for the sand barrier did not detect and protect you from poison.

Luckily or unluckily depending on who you talk to, Kankuro sneakily ate one before Gaara could. He was of course later given the antidote, after all, he was not their target. And killing the Kazekage's son did not look well on anyone's resume. But even with the poison extracted, Kankuro had to lie in bed for a month. As for the culprits… well, let's say they did not end well.

But… these cookies were from the little Hyuuga. She wouldn't possibly think of poisoning him… right? But he was no longer just Gaara, he was a leader of a village. He was responsible not only for his own life but for the lives of the people who depended on him. He couldn't possibly take unnecessary risks. With that in mind, he made the appropriate head-seals and teleported away. But just seconds before leaving, his sand (like his feet) disobeyed his mind, and secretly wrapped around the bundle.

* * *

From that day on, Gaara somehow ended up dining with Hinata. She would bring home-made bentos with her to her training sessions. She would train, he would watch and occasionally, he would give her pointers. There was two weeks left until the exams and Hinata was vastly improving with his help.

Today should have been like any day, except today, when he arrived at the training grounds, there was an unexpected visitor. Gaara sat on top of his favourite branch and silently watched the scene below unfold.

Our main characters: Hinata and Naruto.

Hinata, true to her usual self, was blushing and stuttering furiously.

Naruto, being Naruto, was oblivious to her obvious admiration.

"Hinata-chan!" He spoke in his usual cheer, "So this is where you've been hiding!"

"N-naruto-kun…" Her voice hardly audible, "What- what are you d-doing here?"

The blush on her face annoyed Gaara to no end.

"You're training hard for the jounin exams aren't you? Hey, how about I train you? I bet that way, you can get really strong really fast!"

"Eh?"

"Are those cookies? Hinata-chan did you make this? It's delicious!"

_Nooooo! _Gaara mentally screamed. How dare Naruto eat his cookies! Yes, they were _his _cookies. His little Hinata made them for him. Even if Naruto is the closest thing he has to a friend, they were some things that simply cannot be shared and Hinata's cookies were one of them. In his fury, Gaara accidentally released a burst of chakra… the branch below his feet exploded… naturally, he began falling with the broken pieces of wood…

But he was a shinobi after all, so he quickly did a back flip and landed gracefully on his feet. There! Nobody will notice the difference. He did not just fall out of a tree, no no, he had planned it this way.

For a while, the three of them stood unmoving like a weird tableau. But that was quickly broken by our ever-so-patient Naruto. "Gaara! What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. I was just leaving." Our red-head replied and made to leave.

"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed, "The two of you stay right here! I brought souvenirs for you from my trip with ero-senin! Wait right here! Don't move. I'll be right back!" And with that our energetic blond dashed off.

"Gaara-san…"

"You like him." Hinata was taken aback by the sudden statement. It's true that she had always had a crush on Naruto but for the past week, a certain red-head had been on her mind instead. But to admit to liking Gaara…

She stole a little glance at the boy in front of her and her blush returned full-blast.

Unfortuanetly for Hinata, Gaara mistook her blush for her confirmation.

"You should let him train you."

"W-what? But Gaara-san…"

"I have more important things to attend to."

Hinata's heart sank. Did he mean that she was wasting his time? "But... but I was improving…"

But she was interrupted by his laugh. Yes, Gaara was laughing… as if he has never heard anything so funny in his life.

Hinata felt tears forming in her eyes. How could he… how could he laugh at her…

"You should give up being a shonobi."

"What?"

"You don't have what it takes."

"I.. I know I-I don't have the natural talent, b-but what I lack in skills I'll make up with practice."

"No, you silly girl. You don't get it do you?"

"W-what?"

"Take out your kunai."

"What?"

"Take it out."

Hinata obeyed and watched stupefied as sand poured out of Gaara's gourd and attacked a near by bush.

The sand reformed inches in front of Hinata but contained within it was a struggling white rabbit.

"Kill it."

"What?"

"Kill it."

"What? I can't kill an innocent little rabbit…"

Hearing this, Gaara started laughing again. "What do you take shinobis to be? We're not paladins. We don't right wrongs and kill evil. We're tools, soldiers, we do what is commanded of us. We do what we're paid to do. Unlike the leaf, most of the ninja villages cannot pick and choose their missions. They take what they can to survive. So tell me Hinata, what if your mission was to wipe out a village? To annihilate all opposition? In your words, to kill off defenseless, innocent people. Would you be able to do it?"

"Kill the rabbit, Hyuuga. Stab it and prove to me that your shinobi material."

"I.. I-I can't…" she sank to the ground sobbing. The kunai in her head clattered to the ground with a dull thud.

"Then you should quit being a shinobi." With those words, the sand completely surrounded the rabbit and ripped its head from its torso. The sand retracted back into its container. With a swirl of sand, Gaara made his usual dramatic exit.

Without support, the rabbit's remains dropped to the ground. The rabbit's head hit the ground and rolled a few feet before coming to a stop right in front of Hinata. Its lifeless eyes stared at her. She stared back.

She screamed.

* * *

Half an hour later, Naruto returned to the clearing excitedly carrying two presents. He had finally managed to dig out the souvenirs from his messy apartment to find the training ground devoid of life.

"Hinata?"

"Gaara?"

"Where did everyone go?"

* * *

A/N: Wow, I really am a horrible author... I'm like updating once every year... forgive me... I won't make any excuses... I'm just ultra lazy. To be honest, I sort of forgot what I had planned for this chapter so it ended up taking a very different direction...

Anyways, could anyone tell me if Hanabi belongs to the branch house?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04: 7 Deadly Sins

Rating: R for explicit scenes

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Naruto… or else this wouldn't be fanfiction now would it?

* * *

It's been ten days… ten days since she last saw him. Ten days since she sat on the muddy ground, screaming. Watching, as the decapitated rabbit's head rolled around. Blood spraying from the cut like a fountain. It was sickening… and it was a horror that wouldn't go away. The image of the bloody head surfaced in her mind's eye every time she closed her eyes. Though detached from the body, the head did not die instantly. She watched as shock, fear and horror reflecting in the rabbit's eyes before its face contorted in pain. Then it gasped for breath, its eyes bulged before it slowly lolled back into its head.

Hinata grasped her head and sobbed. She repeatedly slapped herself… hoping to get the images out of her mind. "Please… stop… please."

Although a shinobi; born and raised in a hidden ninja village and an heiress to a prestige clan no less, she's actually never experienced death first hand.

"_You should quit being a shinobi."_ His voice kept repeating in her head.

He's right… she should quit… she doesn't have what it takes… she doesn't have the guts…

'_I'm spineless.'_

She withdrew from the Jounin exams a few days ago. Or rather, to be more precise, her absence resulted in immediate disqualification.

She doesn't regret it. She knows she would have never made it anyways.

Once upon a time, she believed that hard work can make up for skill. After all, Naruto-kun and Lee-san are living proof of that. But she neglected the vital difference between them. They are strong because they better themselves in order to protect others. For this reason, they are willing to do anything… to kill, if necessary.

But she… she was weak, because her motives aren't pure. She wanted to prove to everyone that she was strong, that they were wrong about her. That she wasn't as useless as they say she is.

She wanted recognition but she wasn't willing to stain her hands in red.

'_I'm so selfish… I'm disgusting…'_

And Gaara, of all people, helped her see the truth.

She hates him

Why did he have to slap her in the face with reality? Why wasn't he like her friends, encouraging her to try her best while shielding her from harm? Or like her family, turning a blind eye and just letting her be?

Why did he allow her to build up her fantasies around him? Let her envision him as a valiant knight from one of her favourite storybooks?

_Her_ _knight_, belonging only to her. Who is sweet and kind and protected her from harm.

Why did he allow her to fall in _love_? Only to rip her heart into shreds without a backwards glance? Why did he have to throw away the mask and expose himself as what he _really_ is?

A knight? What a joke!

He is the very opposite of kind and nice!

He is _Gaara_!

Cruel.

Bloodthirsty.

He is a _demon_, with or without One-Tail.

.

.

.

He is Gaara.

* * *

She had finally fallen asleep. Or maybe had just finally depleted the last of her energies and blacked-out. Regardless, she was brought back to consciousness by a peculiar sound. Rubbing her aching head, she snapped her heavy eyelids open and perked her ears to listen avidly for the sound that had awakened her.

She heard… normal night noises drifting in from her open window. The sound of crickets chirping outside; the occasional flap of wings as birds flew by; and the soft swoosh of the warm summer breeze.

Hinata relaxed her guard. There was nothing out of the ordinary. She adjusted her kimono so that it rested more comfortably against her skin. She was just about to close her eyes and get back to sleep when it came again. And it sounded like… _footsteps on the soft cushioned floor!_

Shinobi reflexes kicking in, Hinata grabbed for her kunai and faced the intruder in battle stance. How could she have not seen him? How could she have not felt another presence in the room? Even a normal person would've! She really was a pitiful excuse for a ninja!

"Who's there?" With eyes adjusted to the darkness, Hinata could now make out the faint outlines of a man, no taller than she. He stood by the window, his stance relaxed. She could feel his gaze on her. It was so intense. She felt like he was studying, memorizing her. _How could she have not felt his gaze before!_

Suddenly, Hinata felt very self-conscious. A light blush crept up her cheeks. She felt _naked_. His gaze made her feel uncomfortable. "Wh-what do you want?"

The cloud shifted in the night sky, revealing the full moon. White light streamed in from the window, shrouding the figure in an eerie glow. It illuminated him, exposing red hair, green eyes and the familiar 'love' symbol on his forehead. The moonlight embraced him, making him look beautiful… _otherworldly…_stunningly so that it felt_ abnormal…it felt wrong… _

"_You."_ Came the soft whisper.

"What?" Still in shock, Hinata almost thought she had imagined it. Is she imagining it? This couldn't possibly be happening.

"_You. I want you._" Came the soft voice again, sounding erotic… seductive. And this time he uncrossed his arms and took a few steps forward.

"Gaara." The name slipped from her lips. She backed away in reflex, matching his steps, trying to maintain the same distance between them. He seemed different tonight… _dangerous… _

"K-kazekage-sama… wh-what… what a-are you doing here?" Backed up against the wall, she had nowhere to run and he closed the distance between them. Putting his hands on either side of her head, he trapped her.

He was so close to her, she could feel his breathing. She stared into his eyes, there was something there… something _wrong_… although she couldn't put her finger on exactly what.

He lifted one of his hands and gently stroked her cheeks. With his index fingers, he gently traced along the edge of her chin, caressing her. Then he tilted his head and rested it on her right shoulder. Burying his face against her neck, he inhaled.

Hinata could only stand rigid against the wall in shock. Was this really happening? Is she dreaming? Is this a twisted wet dream?

This couldn't be possibly be happening… this was Gaara… Gaara would _never_…

"_I want you." _He whispered again in _that_ voice then pulled her tight against him.

Never had she been embraced this intimately. For the first time, she noted the difference in build between a man and a woman…

And most notably, something hard was pressed against her thighs. She blushed again and wanted to voice her objection. But she never got the chance…

Because then, he _licked_ her.

A scream escaped her throat, only to be silenced by his mouth. He pressed his lips against hers and moved none too gently. It was rough, awkward, harsh and demanding. Not at all like how she imagined kisses to be. He nipped at her lips and tried to pry her lips apart. He prodded his tongue in and sucked greedily.

She could feel his hands slide down her body. It felt foreign and cold. He moved past her breast, past her waist, and continued further down until he stopped to caress her butt. She could feel his hand tracing soft circles on her skin. And then he grabbed it hard and pulled her tight against him.

'…_it hurts…' _She breathed

He rubbed against her… pressed himself hard against her.

Never had she ever been treated like this before. But for some reason, her thoughts were getting hazy. She felt hot… and wet…

He lifted her up so that her chest were now in line with his face and pinned her against the wall with his weight.

One of his hands slipped under the fabric of her kimono to cup her right breast. He prodded and played with her nipple and traced soft circles with his fingers.

With his other hand, he pulled her belt free. The fabric slipped off her shoulders and pooled on the floor.

Blushing even redder, Hinata wiggled and tried to cover her exposed flesh with her hands but he was quicker. Grabbing both of wrists with his hand, he pinned them against the wall high above her head.

Then he buried his face in between her breasts and inhaled again. It was an awkward position and he stayed still for a few moments just taking in her scent. As if he was remembering her… committing her smell to memory.

Then he moved and started to suckle. Her nipples hardened involuntarily… to the point of almost pain. It felt weird… foreign… her body had never responded in this way before. It was painful but also… pleasant? It was such an oxymoron, and Hinata didn't know how to explain it.

He gathered her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down on her back and stood back to study her. Clad only in her underwear, Hinata quickly crossed her arms to cover her breasts.

"_Don't"_ He whispered and gently eased her arms apart. He bent down to kiss her and this time, his kisses were slower and tenderer.

"_You're beautiful."_

She felt his hands at her hips and then her undies slipped off.

What happened next felt like a blur.

She felt something hard prodding against her opening… and then the painful intrusion.

She felt she was being stretched apart.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Then he started moving in and out of her and the pain slowly turned into a different sensation. It wasn't… pleasant per se… it was just different.

He moved for a long time, his rhythm slowly picking up.

A wet squishy sound filled the air accompanied by the soft squeak of the mattress.

Hinata wasn't sure how long the sex continued, her mind was in perpetual haze.

Then suddenly she felt him leave her.

When she finally snapped out of her trance, he was already gone. She was alone.

Had it not been the wet and stickiness between her legs and the dull ache of her body, she might've suspected that it had been only a dream… She curled up into fetus position and closed her eyes.

* * *

It was in this position that Neji and Tenten found her when they barged into her room hours later.

"Oh, kami!" Tenten exclaimed, "Are you okay Hinata?"

The smell of raw sex was still thick in the air… there was no denying what had happened.

"Were you… were you raped!"

Was she? Was she raped? She hadn't said no or fought back in anyway… but she certainly hadn't asked for it. She didn't hate him for what happened… and in truth, she didn't regret it. But if it wasn't rape, then where did it leave her? If she had enjoyed it… didn't that make her a whore? Sexual intercourse shouldn't occur out of wedlock… especially in a traditional family like hers. If they found out… god… if they weren't going to strip her title before, they would, without a doubt, now.

"Who did it! Tell me –"

"Hinata!"

"Oh my god!"

"It must have been _lust._"

"…_the seven sins…_"

"That criminal is disgusting –"

"Hinata-sama!"

"…how could he could curse our village like that –"

" – the whole town has gone crazy."

"Hinata… are you alright!"

"What happened…"

"Nobody's acting like themselves!"

There were a lot of yelling, a lot of voices; and Hinata couldn't make out most of words or decipher whom it had belonged to. She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to see them… she didn't want to face them… she didn't care who was there… or who knew.

She felt herself being wrapped up… there were more voices… more footsteps… more people.

Her mind was still hazy. She was tired… and numb… she just wanted everybody to go away. Why won't they let her sleep?

There were some more commotion, more thundering footsteps, and hushed, rapid whispers.

_Now they pay attention to me. _

Then she heard her cousin say, "Tenten, take care of Hinata-sama… there's a situation concerning Hanabi-sama and my uncle… I must leave… I'll be right back…"

"Go Neji, don't worry about Hinata. I'll take care of her."

Was something wrong with her father and sister? But for reason, Hinata couldn't bring herself to care… she was just too tired… she just wanted to _sleep_…

There was a thundering of footsteps… finally, there was silence…

"Oh you poor girl!" She felt the older girl hug her and hands gently stroking her back. "Rest now… don't worry about a thing, Hinata…I will take care of you."

And she obeyed. She was so tired… _Finally, they let her sleep… let her have some peace and quiet. _The darkness called out to her and she welcomed it.

_._

_._

_._

Nobody saw the smirk on Tenten's face…

…Or the glint of metal, as the older girl plunged the knife deep into the sleeping girl's back.

* * *

A/N: Wow, it's been 2 years since I've last updated… I don't even know if I can write anymore… I apologize to all my readers! Is anyone even reading this story anymore, lol!

I wouldn't be surprised…

I've decided to pick up this story again. The next update won't be too far away. I've decided the direction the story will go and if this chapter is confusing or out of character, the next chapter will definitely explain things.

I am in search for a beta-reader though! If anyone is interested please contact me! I desperately need some guidance and massive editing!

Please review and let me know what you think! I value all comments and criticisms!

Hugs everyone~


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